Curtain-fixture.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

H. E. KEBLER. CURTAIN FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5. 1902.

n .lil n Patented May 5, 190e.

@Finca Arent HERBERT E. KEELER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettere :Patent No. 727.378, dated May 5, 1903 Application led June 5, 1902. Serial No. 110.2117. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. KEELER a, citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the same.

This invention relates to curtain-fixtures which are especially adapted for use in connection with spring-actuated curtains and are self-alining to maintain such curtains in parallel position as they are raised and lowered.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters refer to similar parts in the several figures, Figure l is an elevation partly in section, showing this curtain-fixture applied to a spring-actuated curtain. Figs. 2, 3, and Il are detail views of one form of shoe. Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views of another modification. Figs. 7 and 8 show a modiiied construction. Figs. 9 and l0 show another form.

The curtain B is secured at its upper end to the spring-roller B', mounted, as usual, at the top of the window. The lower end of the curtain is formed to support the curtain-tube B2, which extends across the lower end of the curtain, as indicated in Fig. l. The shoes D are mounted to reciprocate in the curtaintube and are pressed outward, preferably yieldingly or under spring-pressure, into engagement with the guideways A in the posts A'. These shoes are provided with face guiding members or rolls D2, mounted in the shoes and preferably suitably separated, so that the outward pressure tends to keep these shoes parallel to the guideways, and in this manner the curtain-tube and the lower end of the curtain are maintained in parallel position, so that the curtain-fixture is self-alining. These face guiding members are preferably located in the ends of the shoes to give the greatest self-alining action. The shoes are also provided with lateral guiding members, which are 'pressed outward transversely into engagement with the sides A2 of the guideways, so that by this lneans the shoes grip the guideways and hold the curtain securely in any desired position. At the same time the entire outward pressure exerted upon the shoes is effective in maintaining the alinement of the curtain-fixture, and the lateral guiding members, since they are operated transversely, do not materially interfere with the self-aliniug action of the face guiding members.

As is seen in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4, the curtain-tube B3 is provided with the collar B5, through which the rod C2 passes, the inner end of each of these rods being connected with the handle C. These two handles project out through a suitable openingin the escutcheon C', this construction being similar to that disclosed in the patent to Keeler and Duncan, No. 689,195, dated December 17, 1901. The spindle B is mounted in the outer end of the tube and is accurately guided thereby, so that the shoe is accurately guided in its outward movement. The spindle and shoe at either end of the curtain-tube are pressed outward by the spiral spring B4, operating between the collar and the end of the spindle. The shoe D is rigidly secured to the spindle and comprises the face guiding members or rolls D2, pivoted at the ends of the shoe, as indicated, to engage the face A of the guideway. The shoe is also provided with the lateral guiding membersEEgwhich,asindicated,are situated on either side of the shoe near the center of the same. E consists of the pivoted grip, (shown in Fig. 4,) which moves about the pivot E2in the shoe and which is pivotally connected to the rod O2 by the pivot E3. The'leafspring E4 engages this guiding member and presses it transversely into contact with the side A2 ofthe guideway, thereby forcing the opposite lateral guiding member E into contact with the guideway as well.

It will be seen thatrwhen the handles are pressed together each one of the movable grips E is swung about its pivot E2, so as to withdraw it transversely from contact with the guideway. Thereafter when the grip has reached the limit of its pivotal movement the rod withdraws the shoe and spindle inward against the action of the spring B4, so that the face guiding members are withdrawn from engagement with the guideway, the springs E4 and B4 being so proportioned that these operations take place as indicated.

lt is not necessary in all cases that the IOO guiding members or the shoes shall be withdrawn from engagement with the guideways,

as has been indicated. The shoes may, if-

desired, be mounted as shown in Fig. 6, in which the shoe indicated is rigidly secured t-o the spindle D', having at its upper end the plunger D5, fitting accurately within the curtain-tube BB. This 'plunger is formed suficiently long to give a good bearing for the spindle as it is reciprocated. The spring DG operates against the plunger to normally hold the face guiding members D2 in the shoe in contact with the guideway. The ferrule B6, secured to theouter end of the tube, keeps the plunger in the tube. This shoe, as is indicated, is formed with the lateral guiding member E near the center of one side of the shoe, and on the opposite side of the shoe a leaf-spring F is secured, the central portion of this spring, which is adapted to engage the side A2 of the guideway, constituting a movable grip or lateral guiding member. The spring operates to force the lateral guiding members transversely into engagement With the side of the guideway, so as to give the proper engagement with the sides of the guideWay so as to maintain the curtain in any desired position.

' The form of shoe indicated in Figs. 7 and 8 is provided with the face guiding members D2, and this shoe engages the side A2 of the guideway throughout substantially its entire extent, the side of the shoe being formed flat, as indicated, for this purpose, so as to constitute a lateral guiding member. The movable grip, which engages the opposite side of the guideway and operates transversely under the action of the spring F3, is given the form of a roll F', mounted in suitable bearings F2, secured to the spring. This roll or lateral guiding member projects through a suitable opening in the shoe and engages the side of the guideway.

The shoe indicated in Figs. 9 and 10 comprises the face guiding members D3, which in this instance are mounted to engage the outside of the guideway A5, so as to have a selfalining action. The lateral guiding members F1 are formed in this instance near their end of the shoe and are pressed transversely into engagement with the sides A2 of the guideway by the leaf-spring F, secured to the side of the shoe. The central portion of this leafspring engages the side of the guideWay and constitutes a movable grip or lateral guiding member, which, together with the other lateral guiding members, is spring-pressed trans- V versely into engagement with the sides of the gage the guideway. It is of course understood that the face guiding members do not need to be formed as rolls in every instance so long as they properly engage the guideway. Parts of this invention may be employed Without using all of the same and, furthermore, may be used in connection with other devices Well known in this art. I do not, therefore, Wish to be limited to the disclosure which I have made in this case; but

What I claim as new, and What I desire to secure by Letters Patent, is set forth in the appended claims:

l. In a self-alining curtain-fixture, a springactuated curtain, a curtain-tube mounted in the lower end of said curtain, shoes mounted to reciprocate in either end of said tube, each of said shoes being provided with face guiding members to engage guideWays and With lateral guiding members which comprise pivoted grips, spring-pressed transversely into engagement with the guideWay, rods connected to said grips and having handles projecting from said tube and springs to press said shoes outward into engagement With said guideways.

2. In aself-aliningcurtain-fixture, aspringactuated curtain, shoes mounted to reciprocate in said curtain, said shoes being provided with face guiding members to engage guide- Ways and with lateral guiding members comprising movable grips, means to press said shoes outward to force said face guiding memlbers into contact with said guideways, means to force said movable grips transversely into lateral engagement with said guideways and means to manually retract said movable grips.

3. In a self-alining curtain-fixture, a springactuated curtain, shoes to cooperate With guideways, means to secure said shoes to said curtain to reciprocate With respect thereto, said shoes being provided With separated face guiding members and with lateral guiding members, springs to force said shoes outward to cause the engagement of said face guiding members with said guideways and means to force said lateral guiding members transversely into engagement With said guide- Ways.

4. In aself-alining curtain-fixture, aspringactuated curtain, shoes to coperate With guideways, means secured to said curtain in which said shoes are mounted to reciprocate with respect to said curtain, face guiding members in the ends of said shoes, springpressed outward into engagement With said g uideways and transversely-operatin g springpressed lateral guiding members in said shoes.

5. In a self-alining curtainfixture,a curtain, shoes mounted on said curtain to reciprocate With respect thereto and to cooperate With guideways, separated face guiding members in said shoes, means to yieldingly press said shoes outward, lateral guiding members in said shoes and means to yieldingly force said lateral guiding members, transversely into engagement with said guideways.

IOO

IIO

'6. In a sel-alining curtainxture,a curtain, shoes mounted on said curtain to reciprocate with respect thereto and to cooperate with guideways, rotary separated face guiding members in said shoes, means to yieldngly Toffs/said" shoes outward and transverselyoperating lateral guiding members in said shoes.

7. In a self-alining curtain-fixture, a shoe to coperate with a guideway, said shoe comprising separated guiding members, means to yieldably force said guiding members into engagement with said guideway, lateral guiding members,including a movable grip, means to force said movable grip transversely into lateral engagement with said guideway and manual means to retract said movable grip.

HERBERT E. KEELER. y

Witnesses:

HARRY L. DUNCAN, JEssIE B. KAY. 

